Improved match-box



H. HOWSON Match BoX.

No.. 39,994. I I I Patented Sept. 15, 1863.

1* UNITED STATES PATENT CFFIGE.

WILLIAM F. WARBURTON, OF SAME PLACE.

iMPROVED MATCH-BOX.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 39.994, dated September 15, 1863; antedated March 12, 1863.

To all whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, HENRY HowsoN, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Box or Safe for Matches, 86C. and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention consists of a stationary receptacle having an inclined or projecting front and an opening, the whole being formed substantially as described hereinafter, in combination with a lid or cover hung to the said receptacle, through the medium of arms, at such points that the said lid will be self-closing, the receptacle itselfbeing formed with a view to the ready withdrawal ofthe matches, and the entire box being of the most simple character both as regards the material used and workman- .ship employed in its construction.

In order to enable others to make and use my invention, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation.

On reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, Figure l is an end view of my improved box or safe for matches with the cover depressed; Fig. 2, a sectional view with the lid raised; Fig. 3, a front view of the box; Fig. 4, aperspective View; Fig. 5, a sectional view of a modification of my improvement; Fig. 6, a front view of Fig 5; Fig. 7, an end view of a modification of the box.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

My improved match-box, which consists of two parts, the stationary receptacle A and movable cover B, is in principle somewhat similar to the box for which Letters Patent were granted to my assignee, W. F. YVarburton, on the 21st day of January, 1862, and in which the cover is stationary and the receptacle movable.

The form of the receptacle of my improved match-box may be varied, although I prefer that illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, as be-' in g cheap and simple as regards construction. Between the outer end of theinclined front a of the receptacle and the outer end of the top (I of the same is the opening I), through which the matches are withdrawn, the cover B when depressed bearing on the inclined ends of this opening.

The receptacle may be attached to the wall by tacks driven through flanges e, which may be formed by simply cutting them from the rear fof the receptacle and bending them up. The cover Bis a plain piece of tin plate or other thin metal of sufiicient size to cover the opening b, and having at its opposite ends arms or projections h, which embrace the receptacle, these arms being bentfroin the same piece of tin of which the cover is formed. The arms are connected to the receptacle by means of a simple wire, D, Fig. 4, the point x where this wire is situated being such in regard to the opening b, and the arms presenting such a length of leverage, that when the cover is raised sufficiently high to allow for the extraction of a match the full weight 0." the cover, in addition to the weight of the arms themselves, tends to restore the former to its position over the opening with certainty and promptness, and without the aid of the weights or springs which would be required to close a hinged lid with the same certainty and rapidity as such lids are usually arranged on matchboxes. It will be readily seen that but little material is required in the construction of the box, and that the workmanship demanded is, owing to the absence of hinges-in forming which tedious manipulation is requiredof the most simple character.

Instead of arranging the arms or projections D on the exterior of the receptacle, they may be on the inside, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, in which case the arms may be made of a piece of bent wire secured to the cover, one end of the wire passing through a hole in one end of the receptacle, and the other through a similar hole in the opposite end of the receptacle. (See Fig. 6.)

Although the receptacle may be varied in form, it should in all cases have an inclined or projecting front, a, so arranged in respect to the opening I) that the matches can be readily withdrawn, the extent of the inclination or amount of projection of the front a being determined by the position of the said opening b,which,as will be readily seen, may be varied, dium of the arms h h at such points that the although that shown is the drawings is we said lid may be self closing, as described, for

ferred. the purpose specified.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure In testimony whereof I have signed my by Letters Patent name to this specification in the presence of The stationary receptacle A, its inclined or two subscribing witnesses. projecting front a, and opening I), the whole HENRY HOWSON. being formed substantially as set forth in \Vitnesses combination with the lid or cover B, the latter CHARLES E. Fos'rER, being hung to the receptacle through the me- JouN WHITE. 

